A consummate musician with a great sense of humor, Barlow’s expressive arrangements, of ancient music from the British Isles, is music to soothe the soul, warm the heart and lift the spirit. Barlow is a warm, accessible performer who delights his audiences with anecdotes of the history behind his music.

“I specialize in a genre of music known as Celtic fingerstyle guitar,” says Barlow. “This musical style has been evolving over the past thirty years, as musicians began transposing Celtic melodies - traditionally played on the bagpipes harp, pennywhistle and fiddle - to the guitar. Alternate guitar tunings have been developed to capture the magic of this ancient music. The term fingerstyle refers to the playing of the strings with the fingers of the right hand. This approach enables the guitarist to play bass, melody and chords at the same time,” he says.

Due to the intricacies and attention to detail required by this guitar style, there are few practitioners of Celtic fingerstyle. Barlow is among a relatively small group of guitarists who are proficient in this style. A consummate musician at the top of his craft, Barlow has been on the A-list of concert musicians for years.

Barlow describes Celtic music as “music with great depth and beauty, chronicling the emotional experience of an entire culture;” his performances reflect his immersion in the rich history of the Celtic people. An award-winning composer, Barlow was a sought-after performer and songwriter in Nashville for many years before shifting his focus to Celtic guitar. The title song from his CD, “Bring Down the Storm,” won the prestigious Independent Music Award.

Join us on for Jerry Barlow: Master Celtic Guitarist, when a brilliant musician returns to the ECA stage by popular demand to capture the magic of ancient Celtic melodies. Advance tickets for are $12, available online at elationarts.org and at the Higher Grounds Coffee Company. Tickets at the door are $15. Young people 18 and under are admitted free of charge.

Please help us continue the tradition of our concert intermission/social by bringing a dessert to share. ECA is also putting out the call for volunteers to help with concert setup and cleanup.

Pagosa Lakes Clubhouse is located at 230 Port Ave. in the Vista subdivision of Pagosa Lakes. Take U.S. 160 to Vista Boulevard; turn north on Vista, then left on Port. The clubhouse is at the end of Port in the PLPOA complex.

Elation Center for the Arts is a nonprofit organization that provides cultural arts programs to the community of Pagosa Springs. For more information, call 731-3117.